I can’t say much is known right now about Project LLL, the latest game revealed by prolific Korean developer and publisher NCSoft. What we do know, however, is absolutely fucking bonkers. Project LLL is a sci-fi looter shooter MMO where some sort of temporal anomaly is dragging the 10th-century Byzantine empire and some 23rd-century civilization into the modern day (which is… innovative, to say the least).
We can assume from the gameplay trailer that what happens next is all-out warfare between the factions. Also, there’s some weird “biblically accurate looking angel” arm-kaleidoscope ship thingamajig that decimates a city street, so y’know, there’s that, too!
The story seems absolutely nuts, but the development team has cited some great literary works and films as inspiration, including Blade Runner, Dune, and Foundation. Whether or not the game will stand the test of time as a modern classic for sci-fi lovers remains to be seen… we’ll have to watch out for more details as the game’s slated release for 2024 grows ever closer.
In the meantime, the gameplay reveal trailer has left us with many visual goodies to fawn over, showing off tons of unique equipment and abilities. Let’s look at what we’ve seen so far and see if we can make sense of everything shown in the trailer, shall we?
Our first glimpse at Project LLL’s gameplay showcases what the game might look like for players who take a stealthier approach to tackle enemies. Keeping a low profile means picking and choosing which fights to start. A mini rotor drone is good for deciding when it’s time to sneak past a particular encounter.
The threat-highlighting capabilities of the drone are reminiscent of something from a Splinter Cell game, with enemies glowing red and hostages glowing blue. It remains to be seen if a player will be allowed to fully stealth an encounter or just make a surprise entry pick, but technology like the rotor drone will undoubtedly allow for the most intelligent opening move that’s possible.
Sometimes, you’re gonna run into a big guy. And when you run into a big guy, you need to whip out the big guns. Luckily, players will be packing Justin Hammer’s ex-wife here in Project LLL.
The shoulder-mounted missiles look like a great way to decimate single targets. Players will likely want to use it on high-priority, bulky enemies since it seems like the rockets might be operating on a cooldown timer between activations.
It looks like taking out fodder enemies and “trash mobs” will be a walk in the park in Project LLL. In a game like this, sometimes you’re going to be overwhelmed by a swarm of enemies… and a one-off dumbfire missile just isn’t gonna cut it. The gameplay trailer shows that the player will have explosive alternatives to do the job.
Opening the micro missile visor lets the player tag enemies for a fire and forget volley, taking care of lesser enemies in seconds. It seems advantageous to use this against foes that have the high ground or are further away from the player, where small arms fire might be less effective against them.
A truly unique addition to a Project LLL player’s arsenal looks akin to a “gravity grenade.” An “anti-gravity grenade,” maybe? Whatever this is, it’s badass, and it’s definitely going to add a ton of utility to a player’s arsenal.
I can see these being thrown out both during the start and end of battles, either effectively removing enemies from a gunfight early on or clinching a victory against the last few remaining fighters. Either way, the crowd-control versatility of these grenades means players will have to keep an eye out for them at all times.
As the world’s grouchiest quinquagenarian is so fond of saying: “I’ve got you in my sights.”
Of course, he can only kill five enemies at a time when he pops his ultimate ability. In Project LLL, it looks like you’ll be locked, loaded, and ready to take out swathes of bad guys just by looking in their general direction.
An ability like this will be potent in PvE battles with such a massive scale, no doubt about it. Can I activate this auto-aim while holding down a position with an LMG? Does it work with something like a grenade launcher? The possibilities are extremely exciting, and I can’t wait to learn more about how this ability will be implemented into a finished product.
So yeah, there are totally Titanfall mechs that will pose a massive threat in any battle they show up to. But on the bright side, it looks like players can also kit themselves out with some really powerful defensive abilities.
One of these abilities seems to be a one-sided light shield, letting players attack enemies while blocking damage from any small arms fire. It doesn’t seem like it’ll do much against something like a missile (a shoulder-mounted one, maybe?), but if activated at the right time, I’m sure this shield provides ample protection.
From hardlight shields to active camo, it definitely feels like Project LLL is taking some inspiration from Halo’s armor abilities.
With Project LLL featuring such large-scale engagements, active camo might surprise players as one of the most powerful abilities in their arsenal. The near invisibility afforded to the player might allow them to escape places where the team is pinned down, traveling to the backlines to cause all types of chaos.
The active camo ability here reminds me of Planetside 2’s Infiltrator cloaking, which allows for the disruption of massive player battles. If Project LLL’s conflicts are as grand in scale as the trailer claims, this ability could become a staple of skilled players on the battlefield.
Future fighters still need to get their hands dirty, so one of the standout highlights of Project LLL’s gameplay trailer was this particular melee ability. The high-tech suit lets a player start a close-quarters engagement from several feet away, lashing out and yanking in enemies.
As shown in the trailer, this can combo into more moves to knock an enemy out. Just how many combos there are remains to be seen, but it’s worth noting that players won’t be helpless when push comes to shove and there’s no room to breathe.
Another ability granted by the suit is a fast-acting hack, allowing players to override mechanical obstacles in seconds. In the trailer, the player uses his suit to analyze and take over an enemy’s mech. Forcing the enemy to contend with someone piloting their own gear is a powerful tool, and this could easily change the tide of a battle in seconds.
Sometimes, those dinky little hardlight shields aren’t going to cut it. When the enemies start trying to punch a hole the size of Texas straight through your chest cavity, you’ll need a little more protection.
The last piece of tech that the Project LLL gameplay trailer shows off is a drop shield, protecting the player from incoming damage from every angle. It protects from small-arms fire and explosives alike, so it seems like this will be one of the game’s premier defensive options.
Timing the deployment is always vital, but these bubbles last for a couple of seconds and have enough space to fit several players at once. Teamwork and coordination might allow for even greater drop shield uptime, making this a very powerful tool.
Now we play the waiting game…
Project LLL’s gameplay trailer promises a true next-generation massive multiplayer war game. If what we’ve been shown is representative of the real deal, then this is the culmination of some of the most ambitious experiments released in the gaming industry. Regardless of the state the game releases in, I suspect that the unique arsenal shown here will bring in a dedicated player base. As we all wait with bated breath for the game’s 2024 release, stay tuned here on Couch Soup, where we will stay up to date on new Project LLL developments!
Which of these abilities looks the most interesting to you? Are you excited to see how Project LLL shapes up over the course of its development? Tell me all about it in the comments down below!
